Cinepals - THE PRESTIGE (2006) Movie Reaction & Review! | Hugh Jackman | Christian Bale | Christopher Nolan

Episode Date: August 19, 2024

Achara watches Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" for the first time! The Prestige is a psychological thriller about two rival magicians in 19th-century London whose intense competition leads them into a dangerous obsession with outdoing each other's illusions, resulting in tragic consequences. The Prestige is directed by Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer, Inception, The Dark Knight, Interstellar) and stars Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine, Logan, Les Misérables, The Greatest Showman), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, American Psycho, Ford v Ferrari), and Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers, Lost in Translation, Black Widow), alongside Michael Caine (The Dark Knight, The Cider House Rules, Children of Men) and Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Town, Iron Man 3, Godzilla x Kong).   You can watch the cut down reaction to this movie (and many others) on our YouTube channel https://www.YouTube.com/@Cinepals and the full length reaction is available on our Patreon page https://www.Patreon.com/JabyKoay SOCIAL MEDIA:  ~CINEPALS~ YouTube: @CinePals Insta: https://instagram.com/TheCinePals Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCinePals   ~ACHARA~ Twitter & Instagram: @Acharakirk YouTube: @Achara

Senna. Pals! We are watching The Prestige today. I am very excited for this because I've been trying to get a chart to watch it for years. Years. And today is the day is the day. Now you're looking for the secret, but you won't find it because of course you're not really looking. Right.

You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled. that's crazy i like that the structure was really interesting as well because like a magic trick you know they're telling you exactly what the structure is right it's like there's the pledge the turn and then the prestige and so i was kind of you know looking out for it along the way in much the same way it like the whole movie feels like you're watching a magic trick yeah like when you go to the magic castle and you're like, okay, I'm buying into this thing. But, like, I kind of want to know what's going on.

Like, I kind of want to try and figure it out. It's exactly what it says. It's like you kind of want to try and figure it out, but also you don't really want to because you want to be fooled. Like, you want to buy into the magic, which is how I feel every time I watch a magic show. The reason why I kind of picked up on the whole, like, Christian Bale, having a double, well, first of all, like Michael Cain's character Cutter,

was just like, no, he's got a double. He's got a double. That's how he does it. Told you point blank. Yeah, he's got a double. But then everyone else is like, it's too simple. It's too simple. It's like, it's always the simplest thing. And then I just noticed there was, there was one angle where I looked at his, his brother, right?

Or, you know, his double, because they both swap around. And there was one angle. And I was like, God, they look alike. And then I was like, oh. And then the whole thing with his wife where sometimes she's like, like, no, you really love me. You're telling the truth or you're not telling the truth right now. And then the clues were all there, like the, all of the disguises and stuff like that.

And then the fact that the assistant guy, his double, was always wearing the gloves. And it's like, that's because you're hiding something. And then the real clue to me was when he said to him, like, go make it right. go make it right with my wife, go make it right with my daughter, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, no, he's saying go pretend to be me and make it right.

But, like, I had to wait until the end of the movie for the reveal. And then it's like, they're just playing each other, you know, because Hugh Jackman's also doing that with the clones, with the thing with the Tesla machine that is, like, actually cloning him. The duplication. Yeah, the duplication.

Like, he's also tricking him and they're just using. doubles, but just in different ways. My mind is just like blown right now because I have questions now. I'm like, okay, so this Robert Angier character who is also the Lord, like

is he really the Lord or is he really Robert? Like, who are these guys really? I guess that's the question, but also that's never really going to be answered. It was brilliant. Yeah. One of my struggles watching this, now, firstly, I didn't remember a lot of the reveals that happened in the movie.

The only one I remembered was that Christian Bale had a double. Right. That was it. And I knew that Hugh Jackman dies at the end. And it's a long, slow death. Those are the things that I remember. I remember the bit with the hats and the Tesla machine and like some of the, but like there was a lot of little things that I forgot along the way. And so when Christian Bale first courts, uh, what's her name, Rebecca Hall, and he's outside the door. Then he's inside the room. I'm like, like, like I forgot about the whole Scarjo thing that there were two women that they like this. So they each basically had a person they were in love.

with. I thought for like in that moment that they just shared this woman. And I'm like, oh, that's so grody. You know, that's where my brain went. That's why I was like, the implications are pretty bad. And you're like, I don't want to know. But yeah, I was like waiting for you to figure it out and pick up on it. Because I thought that you would have cracked that code way before I did. Really? I think I was quite late to figuring out that Alfred had a double in the movie. I mean, I think I think that's kind of how you're supposed to be. I would imagine. that the surprise, if you didn't figure it out sooner, then the surprise would be just like,

what the F? And then you're kind of, then you'd have to rewatch and kind of try and watch. I was looking for it this time. I was like, I was actively looking for it. I'm like, how does she not? And then I'm like, thinking back to when I first watched it, I'm like, I didn't know. Yeah.

Like, because you're not paying attention to it. Exactly. It's all that misdirection. And that's the whole thing. That's what I love about the structure of the film is that it is like a magic trick where it's, And also like Penn and Teller, what you always say, which is like, they tell you. Yeah.

This is how we're going to do it. Yeah. And you still get amazed every time. And so I really like that structure that they employed here. I thought it was great. One of the things I struggled with this time that I experienced with a little bit with Succession in the beginning of Succession, the very first episode, was these two characters are kind of not likable. Like, they're pretty awful to each other. and what they're basically doing to their families is awful.

And I suppose it's all about the drive and obsession of the artist and how it kind of corrupts what's around them. Just like in whiplash, you know, it's a similar thing. But they both got their comeuppance, so it all works out. You know what I mean? Like everybody lost something in this movie. Hugh Jackman died, Christian Bale. One half of Christian Bail died.

I'm like, that kind of work. And then the one that survives has to live with the fact that his twin brother died. For him. Yeah. It's like, so there's a lot of, they both, everybody suffers who caused suffering in the movie. So it all kind of works itself out. It's just interesting, reflecting on Christopher Nolan's filmography, how often women be getting killed in his movies. I know.

It's like, damn. The whole premise of Memento is Guy Pearce's wife was killed. Like, that's the entire premise of the film and he's trying to track down the murderer, John G. And then in the dark night, Rachel gets murdered. Yeah. And what's it called? The Dark Night Rises. She's a bad guy.

She gets killed in the truck. What happens in the interstellar? I guess Anne Hathaway's all right, but she doesn't get to be with her lover. Right. She's like pulled away by Matthew McConaughey. Yeah. So she's okay. Oh, and then Florence Pugh dies in Oppenheimer, although that's based on real life.

Yeah. So, but anyway, I still really enjoyed the filmmaking of it all. And interestingly, it actually feels kind of different from Nolan's style in some ways. Like, I think I'm used to the Nolan that we got with the Dark Night series, the Dark Night trilogy. That style of shooting is what I'm used to from him, which we also see employed in Oppenheimer. And so it's interesting to see less of that here. I guess this is on his path to being more like that. perhaps the technique I'm seeing that he uses in the Dark Night was less used in Batman Begins.

I haven't watched Batman Begins in a minute. But it's fascinating filmmaking. And it's like you can see almost like the way people who love Tenet look at Tenet, it's like, because I don't like Tenet. But just the crazy structure involved in telling this story, it's brilliant. Yeah. I would argue on level with Memento because while Memento has more of the prestige to it, the men's magic tricks to it like yeah you know with the the crazy storytelling i think this is equal in it because it's doing what it's showing you yeah you know no like that's why i just think it's such

fantastic storytelling because like once you realize all the things it's like oh my god this is the prestige the prestige is that they are each other you know like that they have doubles and like they've been fooling us this entire time and they've been fooling each other and it's such an interesting story like you say because they're just two guys who are just crazy, crazy obsessed and obsessed with their craft to the extent that they would give up everything. And so you're just watching these two rivals who will stop at nothing to get back at each other

when really the best thing would have been to just be like, do you know what? Like I shot off your fingers. We're even. Let's just call it off right now. You go your way. I go my way. But no, they can't let it be.

I would love to know how autobiographical this feels for Christopher Nolan because like the whole thing at the end You know, I know it's just like the conundrum of an artist, right? It's like, okay, one thing that was mentioned was how Hugh Jackman lost everything And so he didn't get to have a wife in kids whereas Christian Bale did And so there was Hugh Jackman had this envy towards him But at the same time he learned that Christian Bale had this sort of fluctuating personality, at least from the outside, because he didn't know about the twin thing.

And so taking away the twin aspect of it, right? The artist does have that struggle when he's married. He can have that struggle. I mean, ideally you don't. You have someone who's supportive and it all kind of just works out and everyone gets along all the time. But there is that thing where it's like you have this, the traditional obligations, but you also have the inner obligation to your craft, to your art. And those two things can conflict.

Whereas Hugh Jackman's on his own. He doesn't have that in his way. And so that's just kind of interesting to consider as an artist. And then the other thing is the obsession and how it's like you just give all of yourself for what? For that fleeting moment when you get to look into the audience's eyes and see that they're impressed and that they're happy. And they feel that sense of wonder, you know, and it's fleeting. It's like it goes quick. Yeah, that's why you have to keep coming back.

You keep making new things. You keep making new tricks and doing new movies and stuff so that the audience is constantly impressed with you and that they constantly give you the validation. that you so desire. But actually what I was wondering when you mentioned the, like, I wonder if this feels autobiographical. I was like, oh, maybe this is also, and I'm going out on a limb here, I know. But like, maybe this is also kind of like Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, you know. There's the one who takes the bow, the one who's like, I did the prestige.

Look at me. I'm so awesome. And everyone's like, well done you. You're so great. You're so great. You're so great. And then, and then, like, behind the scenes, there's the one who's taking about underneath the stage.

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Who's, like, not getting the recognition that he deserves. And so I wonder if there is some, like, kernel of truth in there where there's some sort of, like, sibling rivalry or something. I thought about that, too. I mean, they both wrote this, but that's why we have Fallout now, you know. Yeah, we're out there doing our own things, you know. I don't need you.

Yeah, no, I considered that as well. because they work together. They work together a lot. Yeah, they have. I think that Jonathan Nolan often will write a thing and he feels quite content with it. And then Christopher Nolan will take that thing and then Christopher Nolan it up.

Yeah. You know, and the only example I can think of off the top of my head is Interstellar. Jonathan Nolan wrote that with Matthew McConaughey's character dying. And Christopher Nolan was like, nope. No, no, no, no. We're going to do some crazy fifth dimensional beings shit at the end of this movie

that's going to tie all the way back around of the beginning. Maybe Jonathan Nolan is like the Christian Bale character. He's like, I know how to make the good tricks. Yeah. But then Christopher Nolan is like Hugh Jackman who's like, yeah, but I know the flair. I know the pizzazz. I know what's going to make people like really resonate with this. So if only the two of them could have worked together. I know. They would have been amazing. I know. One making the tricks and the other. like taking the bow but it's like sometimes I think as well it's the ego right it's when you want to be the one who's getting all the accolades on stage and sometimes maybe you're just a supporting character and you

don't have the main character energy well that's another great aspect of the film that I didn't think about in 2006 so it's almost 20 years ago it's 18 years removed from the movie right so that's how long it's been since I watched it um it the movie is detailed how you will kill yourself repeatedly for your ego. Yeah. That's like the most on the nose symbolism. Literally. Kill yourself.

It's like exactly over and over and over again. Just for your ego. He couldn't be content with being under the stage. He had to be seen. You know, that's wild. Yeah, it's wild. No, there's so many interesting layers about this movie. And I think it's just so well done.

And I'm very pleased that I had the opportunity. to watch this for the first time. Because I don't know why I missed it the first time. I think I just got a little bit overwhelmed because there was this movie and then there was the other one with Edward Norton, the illusionist. And I was like, oh my God, two magician movies?

I don't know if I can handle this. I just won't watch any of them. It's wild to me that someone named Christopher Priest wrote a story about two heretics. It's pretty wild. Sure thing. I'm curious about that novel now. If anyone, if any one of you have read it,

I would love to know. what you felt about it and like how it how well it translates to the silver screen because I would imagine a lot was changed I imagine so you know because this feels just very you know Nolan yeah just very like wow yeah let me showmanship I think that you're on to something there with the brother thing because when you hear the name Nolan you do not think of Jonathan no you do not you always think of Christopher Nolan and I saw you you were about to go and then he Nolanizes it but then you realize that they're both Nolan yeah so which one are we talking about, but actually we all know that when we say Nolan, we're all thinking about Chris.

Yeah, exactly. It's unfair. It's unfair. It must be rough being Jonathan Nolan. Yeah, I know. I'm sure he's all right. It's like being Jesus's brother. How do you compete with that? You know? Yeah. No, it is tough unless you, unless you can come with the acceptance of like, you know, I'm a support character and I'm okay with that. But if you're not okay with that, then you got a problem. You're trying to tell us something, a trucker? By the way, the Jesus's brother joke was not something I made up. That was a Robin Williams joke. He did that in his Broadway performance. He talked about what it would be like to be Jesus's brother. I think that's what he was talking about. He's either talking about Jesus's brother or he's talking about being

Gandhi's brother. I forgot which one of the. Either way. Either way. It's the same idea, right? But anyway, yeah, Parapa the rapper did good for what little she? Piper. I don't know how to say Parabo. Parabo. Parabo. Parabo. Parabo. I love her. Here's the thing. Poyote ugly. Christopher Nolan, he, well, whoever was responsible, chose great, I think it's Christopher Nolan, because it's his habit. He chooses very capable actors and actresses because he's like, you do your job, I'm going to do my job. And then we come together, I'm not going to tell you to do two. I just need you to do your shit well, okay? So I can do my shit well.

That's his attitude about things. And he doesn't like to do a lot of takes, apparently. Oh, I would love working with him. And then I hate doing multiple takes. Yeah, the guy from the Santa Claus who plays the top shelf elf, I forgot the name of that actor. I forgot the end in the name of the actor, but he plays the top, he plays the top elf. He was in Oppenheimer and he has a whole thing on YouTube talking about how anxious he got because it was one of the few instances Nolan had to do multiple takes. And he was getting frustrated with Nolan was getting frustrated with his actor.

He's like, I am so fired. He was so scared because Nolan can be kind of intense. It's an interesting thing because at one point they mentioned, I think it was Michael Cain mentioned how he hates comedy. And I feel like Nolan is similar in that way. I don't know. Like, you notice. You think he hates comedy? He hates certain things that that's what's been conveyed to me.

I don't want to say too much in case it's too specific and I get somebody I know in trouble. But like he's a particular kind of dude on set. I think he hates hats. I forget, which is funny. There were hats. There were so many hats in this movie. Forget what he hates. He hates certain things, and I'm like, I don't want to be specific, more specific than that. But anyway, yeah, he's a, he's a curious feller.

I feel like you kind of have to be when you're that brilliant, though. Like everyone who's brilliant is probably a little bit cuckoo, you know. That's just the way it is.